Chapter 10 attention of the crowd
Sirena walked behind the group, not in the mood to walk beside any of them. Her eyes remained fixed on Azania, who was talking quietly with Juniper and Damon as they all walked ahead. That sight alone annoyed Sirena. Out of everyone in the entire academy, Azania was the only one who made her feel… uncomfortable. Like she didn’t belong. Like she was less important.
Sirena hated that feeling more than anything.
Azania didn’t even need to do anything. Her calm expression alone irritated Sirena. The fact that she was blind yet still moved with so much confidence made Sirena clench her jaw. She hated even more that her own powers her golden eyes didn’t work on Azania.
Every time she tried to manipulate her mind, it failed. Because Azania couldn’t see her eyes. Because she was blind.
Sirena wished she could just make her disappear forever.
“Are you okay?” Xavier’s voice suddenly broke through her thoughts.
She rolled her eyes. “What now?” she snapped without even looking at him.
Xavier raised his brow. “Why do you hate talking to me?”
She ignored the question and folded her arms tightly. Her mind was already somewhere else.
“The more I think about it,” Sirena muttered loudly, “the more I keep suspecting Juniper.”
Juniper and the others immediately stopped talking and turned around.
Sirena continued confidently, “She had a fight with that vampire yesterday. Did you kill him?”
Juniper stared at her like she had lost her mind.
Sirena walked closer, pointing slightly at her. “Azania is a witch, right? And you two are close. She might have helped you with the dark spell. Don’t look surprised.”
They all stared at her for a moment, then simply shook their heads and continued walking as if she wasn’t even worth arguing with.
“I mean, I’m just saying—”
“Juniper!” a bright, cheerful voice called suddenly.
Everyone turned to see Lyra waving excitedly at Juniper with the sweetest smile ever. Students around them gasped quietly, some even whispering like Lyra had done something forbidden. Lyra, as usual, didn’t notice. Or maybe she didn’t care.
Juniper sighed. “Oh no…”
Azania tilted her head in Lyra’s direction. Even though she was blind, her expression was sharp. “What was that?”
Juniper rubbed her forehead. “She’s a naive weirdo. Ignore her.”
“She is cute,” Damon said with a big smile.
Kael turned to him slowly. His face was unreadable as always.
“What, brother? Do I have something on my face?” Damon laughed.
“Must you say everything that enters your head?” Kael asked quietly, glancing once again at Lyra before turning and walking ahead.
Damon giggled and ran after him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, don’t be boring now!”
Sirena watched them leave, but her eyes drifted back to Lyra almost instantly. She glared at the girl so intensely it looked like she wanted to set her on fire. Xavier noticed and sighed.
“Are you alright?” he asked again.
Sirena didn’t answer. She didn’t even blink. All she did was glare at Lyra with hatred burning in her eyes.
Up ahead, Azania suddenly stopped walking.
Her brows lowered slightly. She felt something, something dark and strong. Her face turned toward the forest to the right even though everyone else kept walking.
Vyrian stood there, hidden, half in the shadows. Watching Lyra. His demonic energy pressed against the air like a heavy storm, but no one could see him except Azania.
Juniper noticed Azania had stopped. “What are you looking at?”
Azania straightened her back. “Nothing,” she muttered quietly.
And she continued walking with the rest, but her mind was far from calm.
Because whatever she sensed in that forest was powerful. And dangerous.
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.
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Lyra had just finished her last class for the day, her books pressed tightly to her chest as she walked out of the building. As usual, she tried to keep her head low. She still couldn’t bring out her wings, no matter how much she tried. Every time she attempted it, nothing happened, and she ended up looking like the only fairy who didn’t know how to fly.
But thankfully, today nobody paid attention to her. Everyone was too busy whispering about one thing.
The Thorned Veil.
Every corner she passed, she heard the same murmurs.
“Who is the assassin?”
“Did they really carve the words on his face?”
“Do you think the it’ll strike again?”
Lyra hugged her books tighter, trying not to think too much about it. Whoever the Thorned Veil was, they seemed dangerous… but also like someone who hated injustice. That confused her even more.
She was still thinking when she suddenly heard gasps ahead of her.
At first she didn’t understand until she saw it clearly.
A girl no, a fairy girl was being dragged on the ground like a sack of trash. Another girl was gripping her hair so tightly it looked like she was tearing the strands out.
Students immediately gathered around, forming a silent circle. No one dared speak. No one dared move. Their faces were frozen with fear.
Lyra’s eyes widened in shock. The fairy girl was crying, her knees scraped, her face red, and she kept begging, “Please stop… please…”
Lyra’s first instinct was to run forward, but before she could take a proper step, someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her backward.
She turned and saw Echo, her expression pale.
“Standing in front is dangerous,” Echo whispered urgently. “All fairies always avoid her. She is dangerous.”
Lyra’s heart thudded. “Who… who is she?”
Echo swallowed hard. “Xena. Xavier’s sister. They’re both children of the wolf pack alphas. And they’re both powerful. Too powerful.”
Lyra blinked. “Why is she doing that? What did the girl do?”
Echo sighed softly and shook her head. “Watch.”
Lyra didn’t want to. But her eyes moved on their own.
Xena beautiful, fierce, and deadly pulled the fairy girl up by her hair. The girl winced in pain, whimpering softly. Xena’s expression didn’t even change.
Echo muttered sadly, “She believes no fairy is supposed to be prettier than her.”
Lyra felt her heart sink. The fairy girl was indeed beautiful soft freckles, long lashes, curly hair but now all that beauty was trembling and covered in dirt.
Lyra expected Xena to throw her aside, but instead… she smiled.
A cruel, wicked smile.
Then her claws came out.
Sharp, glowing faintly, deadly enough to tear flesh like paper. The students around them stepped back immediately, some covering their mouths.
Lyra froze.
“No…” she whispered.
Xena grabbed the fairy girl’s chin tightly. “Next time,” she said with a smile, “don’t walk around with that face.”
Then she dragged her claws across the girl’s cheeks.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Long, deep, permanent scars.
The girl screamed, falling to the ground and clutching her bleeding face. Xena simply wiped her claws on her dress, turned, and walked away like nothing happened.
Lyra felt sick. She stepped forward instinctively, about to shout—
“This is—”
Echo covered her mouth fast and dragged her back. “Don’t say it,” she whispered shakily. “Do you want to be next?”
Lyra swallowed the rest of her words as Echo pulled her away from the crowd. Lyra kept looking around nervously, feeling… watched. Like something was observing her from a distance.
She turned slowly to search the shadows.
Nothing.
But on a tall roof, hidden in the darkness, Vyrian watched her with cold, unreadable eyes.
He smirked.
“So she feels it,” he murmured softly.
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